Team Dynamics

The Mendocino Complex had a multitude of resources including two Type 1 Incident Management Teams (IMTs) and over 4,000 people from 34 agencies at the height of the incident. Each one of those groups were in some stage of team development and were expected to collectively work together to accomplish incident objectives. The Incident Command System (ICS) is designed to have a breakdown structure of teams that combine and separate as needed.  For example, each functional area (finance, logistics, operations) that make up the “team” of an IMT can have its own entire team. Even within those teams there are further sub-teams (Operations > Branch 1 > DIV Z > IHC).  The concept of “Teams” as it pertains to wildland fire is nebulous and dynamic. 

A healthy team dynamic is critical for developing a common operating picture and having synergy working towards a collective goal. The irony with teams is that they’re made up of unique individuals with different thoughts and beliefs. To capitalize on those unique perspectives the team must dedicate themselves to reflection and continuous assessment to improve team effectiveness. Pre-season coordination meetings, daily After Action Reviews (AARs), pre-operational meetings, planning meetings, and closeouts are just a few examples of tools that help teams to continually evolve and operate at peak performance.

All teams must go through stages of development. The most common model to illustrate this path was developed in the mid-1960s by Bruce W. Tuckman. Each of Tuckman’s stages have their own recognizable emotions, actions, and behaviors; understanding and accepting the unique differences within the stages of team development is essential for continued growth. The phases in Tuckman’s model are rarely static.  Even the highest performing teams can be plunged back into the early stages of team building by factors such as change of task, change of cast, or other external factors.

Many authors have written variations and enhancements to Tuckman's work, but his descriptions of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning still provide a useful model for looking at your own team.
 

Discussion Questions:

• Have you observed the different stages of team development? Discuss what stage your team is at now. 
• How does your crew, module, team fit into the larger picture of an Incident Management Team? How do you incorporate a team within a team?
• What contributes to rapid team synergy? What can hinder reaching team synergy?
• What constructs are built into the ICS system to promote successful team building and teamwork?